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June 8, 2012

Getting My Bronze On With Physicians Formula!

Two weeks from now, Summer will have officially begun. To me, there are very few things that represent Summer better than a tan. But what if you're not much of a tanning enthusiast? I don't know about you, but I don't spend a lot of time trying to get darker, mostly because my skin doesn't turn golden when I tan; instead, it becomes a dull brown. So for that reason, I slather on the sunscreen (which you should too anyway, even if you are looking to tan!) and I don't sunbathe. Occasionally, the urge to tan does strike me and when it does, I turn to self-tanners. But more often than not, I find I'm too lazy to go buy self-tanner (the urge doesn't strike me too often), exfoliate, apply, and wait around in the buff for my skin to dry.

So the solution: BRONZERS! Here, I'm reviewing two of Physicians Formula's many bronzers. Hopefully, one of them will catch your eye!

I love the idea of this product! You get four shades of bronzer; labelled Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. They vary in depth, taking into account the amount of sun you are likely to get during that particular season. Brilliant!

That said, I don't tan enough to actually make the Summer shade work for me; but everything else is totally doable! This bronzer has a fairly soft texture and feels really silky; I don't have any problems using a regular blush brush to get enough pigmentation on my cheeks. At the moment, I use a combination of Winter, Spring, and Fall for a more bronzed look. It's a bit orange on me, so I make sure to follow the less is more approach. Still, with a light hand and the right combination, this bronzer is pretty wearable for someone like me who doesn't tan much.

Happy Booster in Bronzer/Natural

L-R: the bronzer shade, the three blush shades, and all the shades swirled together

I already found myself disappointed after swatching this bronzer because it wasn't looking very pigmented. And you all know how much I like my products to be pigmented! Because it's much easier to apply a pigmented product lightly than it is to build up a product that has crap pigmentation.

BUT! As soon as I applied this bronzer on my cheeks, my disappointment morphed into unexpected pleasure. It looks amazing on the skin! I made sure to apply the Happy Booster Bronzer with a stiff, dense brush (Royal & Langnickel's) and it gave me such a lovely glow. The combination of bronzer and the blush shades looks gorgeous and makes me look healthier.

Wearing Bronzer Booster in Medium to Dark with blush on the apple of the cheek.

Wearing Happy Booster Bronzer/Natural mixed together with just the blush shades on the apples of the cheek.

Both bronzers lasted impressively well on my skin and can keep up with me through a long day. Even after a full day of work and some rehearsals or errands after, I noticed that the bronzer was still present by the time I removed my makeup. Of course, there is some fading involved, but the colour was still quite noticeable on my cheeks.

My favourite of the two is definitely the Happy Booster Bronzer. It's a fantastic 2-in-1 product, the colours are perfect for me, it looks so natural, and it blends amazingly well. Like my favourite bronzers (YSL Terre Saharienne and Lancôme Star Bronzer), this bronzer would be wearable all year round.

As for the Bronzer Booster... While I do love the idea of it, I think these shades are just too orange for my liking. The texture is lovely though, and the wear-time is fantastic.

Still, I'm really pleased with how these two bronzers performed! If only the shades of the Bronze Booster were more flattering for me, I would say that both are absolute must-haves. If your skin is darker than mine, the Bronze Booster would look amazing on you. But for those of you who are around the same colouring as me, pick up the Happy Booster Bronzer. You will love it!

What's your favourite bronzer?

*Disclaimer: This product was a PR sample sent for review consideration.